Container and method of making the same



May 26,1936. 3 M MaccHEsNEY 2,042,346 I CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 19, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 26, 1936. M. MacCHESNEY 2,042,345

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @mmm i I I I I g I i v 5 I r F 5 iii/@7230??- Giesiew/K Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

Chester M. MacChesney, Chicago, 111., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation oflllinois Application November 19, 1931 Serial No. 576,075

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in containers and methods of making the same and its purpose .is to provide an improved container adapted particularly for use as a candy pail, having novel means .for detachably holding the cover in position thereon.

It is the common and preferred-practiceto ship candy and the like in wooden pails which are ordinarily provided with covers formed of relatively thin veneer or. laminated .wood and various methods have been devised for-securing the'cover of such a container in place on the body portion or vessel. It is frequently necessary to inspect the contents of such-a pail or container and it is therefore desirable that the cover be detachably held in place so that it can be readily removed and restored to its normal position without injury to the cover or to the vessel and its contents. Owing to the thinness of the material'which iscommonly employed to form the covers of suchpails-or vessels, the matter of detachabl-y securing 'thecover in place has presented a considerable problem. The removal of such a cover has involved danger of splitting the wood andthe fastening means usually employed have been such'that, after being once removed, the cover could not be restored in itsoriginal condition.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved container or candy pail having'a. cover which may be readily snapped into interlocking engagement with a part-carried by the pail, or removed therefrom. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved containercomprising a-vess-el provided with ametallicannular rim having parts adapted to interlock detachably with a cover inserted withinthe upper part of the rim. Another object of the invention is to provide a container-comprising a. vessel having a metallic rim permanently attached to the upper part thereof and having annular projecting portions adapted to interlock with .a cover disposed within the and seated upon the end of the vessel. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming a container according to which a-completeannular metallic rim is applied to the upper end :ofa vessel with parts thereof projecting upwardly and inwardly with respect'to thetop'edge of the vessel, and then snapping downwardly within said projecting parts, a circular cover which seats upon the end-of the vessel and snaps into interlocking'engagement with-said-projecting parts of'the'r im. Still another object-of the invention is to'provide an improved container comprising a vessel havingsecured to the upper part thereof an aimular metallic rim provided along its upper edge with an annular head which is compressed atintervals to form aplurality of inwardly projecting teeth adapted to snap over the top edge of thecover which is pressed downwardly within the rim untilit seats upon the upper end of said vessel. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement, and to details of the methods which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature-of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the improved container and one example of the improved method are illustrated.

In the vdrawings,

Figure v1 isa perspective .view of a candy .pail embodying the improvements of the present invention;

Fig. .2 shows an enlarged vertical central section through the container illustrated in Fig. '1, 7 illustrating the means for detaching the cover from the vessel;

Fig. 3 isan enlarged vertical section through one edge portion of the upper part of the vessel and outer edge of the cover showing, by :dotted lines, the cover .in a position which it occupies before it is snapped into engagement withthe rim and showing, byfull lines, the cover seated upon the upper edge of the vessel and held in place by the overhanging portions of the upper edgeof the rim;

Fig. =4-isa vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through an upper edge portion of the vessel and outer-portion of the cover,- the section being taken between two of the teeth portions which are illustrated'in Fig. 3 as overhanging the top edge of the cover;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a section-of the sheet metal strip which isoperated upon, in succeeding stages, to form the metallic rim illustrated in Fig. l

Fig. 6'shows the sheet metalblank of Fig. 5 afterit has been'operated upon to form a cylindrical beadalong the upper edge and an inwardly extending flange along the lower edge thereof;

"Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a section'of the rim, at alater-stage of i'ts development, showing the compression of 'thebead along. the upper edge at intervals'to -form a plurality of inwardly projecting teeth; 7

'Fig. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of :a-p'ortion of therim; and Fig. 9 is a perspective viewzof-a portion of the rim, detach'ed' from the vessel, showing the joints at the overlapping ends of the rim and the notch adapted to be engaged by a screw driver or other tool for removing the cover after it has once been applied to the vessel.

In the drawings, the invention is shown as being embodied in a container ID in the form of a candy pail having an outer annular wall II a formed of a plurality of staves I2 which are flared outwardly and upwardly from their lower ends. These staves I2 are notched on their inner sides, upwardly from their lower ends, to form an annular groove I3 in which is seated the outer annular edge of the bottom I4, formed preferably of one or more wooden members. The staves are held in assembled relation and in interlocking engagement with the bottom wall I4 'bymeans of a sheet metal hoop I5 which is formed from a band of sheet metal having the ends thereof overlapped and secured together by spot welding, riveting or the like. Along the upper edge of this hoop I5, there is formed an inwardly extending annular flange I5 which is adapted to engage an annular groove I6 formed in the outer sur-' face of the wall II of the vessel adjacent its lower end. The hoop I5 is provided upon its lower edge with an annular inwardly projecting cylindrical bead I5 which, when the flange I5 is in engagement with the groove I6, is adapted to coact with the annular beveled surface II which is formed by beveling the outer edge surfaces of the lower ends of the staves I2. In this way, the weight of the vessel is transmitted to the bead I5 which rests directly upon the floor or other support upon which the container rests. In applying this hoop I5 to the vessel, it is first formed as a complete annular member having the flange I5 and the bead I5 and it is then driven upwardly over the lower end of the annular wall I I until the flange I5 snaps into engagement with the groove I6. This hoop and the'method of applying it to the vessel are described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 351,478 filed April 1, 1929.

'Around the upper edge of the vessel I0, there is provided an annular metallic rim I8 which is formed from a straight sheet metal strip I8 shown in Fig. 5, by operating upon the strip by suitable dies or the like to form a continuous bead I8 along the upper edge thereof and a continuous inwardly extending flange I8 along the lower edge thereof. After the bead la has been formed, the strip is operated upon by suitable means to compress the bead at intervals as shown at I8 in Fig. 7, to leave intervening bead portions I8 which, in effect, act as teeth projecting inwardly from the upper edge of the metal strips. Having formed a length of material having the form shown in Fig. '7, the required length is cut off and the ends thereof are united to form a complete annular rim, before the rim is applied to the vessel, This may preferably be done by cutting away portions of the bead and flange at opposite ends of the strip to form tongues I8 which project longitudinally and overlap as shown in Fig. 9. These portions of the band or rim which overlaps are then secured together by rivets I9,or other'suitable fastening means. In cutting away the portions of the rim adjacent the tongues I8 a notch is preferably provided in the upper edge of the rim to receive a screw driver or other tool as hereinafter described.

The annular wall I I of the vessel I0 is provided in its outer surface a short distance below the upper edge thereof with an inwardly extending' annular groove 2I which is adapted to be engaged by the flange I8 formed on the rim I8. The outer upper edges of the staves I2, above the groove 2|, are ground off to form an annular cylindrical surface 22 with which the rim I8 is adapted to coact when applied to the vessel. The application of the complete annular rim to the vessel is preferably perfected by compressing the upper portion of the annular wall II by a suitable press in order to reduce the outer circumference thereof sufiiciently to permit the rim I8 to be passed downwardly thereover until the flange I8 is positioned opposite to the groove 2|, whereupon the wall II of the vessel is released and permitted to expand until the flange I8 engages the groove 2| and the body portion of the rim seats upon the annular surface 22. This method of applying a metallic rim and securing it in place is described and claimed in the copending application of Walter W. Smith Serial No. 382,658, filed August 1, 1929. Having applied the rim to the vessel in this manner, it is held securely in place and projects above the upper edge of the vessel as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4.

The cover 25 of the vessel is in the form of a circular wooden plate made up, preferably, of a plurality of layers or laminations 25 which are secured together by glue, or the like, as in the usual method of forming veneer. This cover is adapted to seat upon the upper edge surface I0 of the vessel I0 within the upwardly projecting portion of the rim I8 and the outer edge surface 25 thereof is beveled downwardly and inwardly to facilitate the application of the cover to the vessel. When the cover is so applied, the inwardly projecting seat portions or teeth I8 on the rim are adapted to overlie and contact with the upper edge surface of the cover so that it is held firmly in place.

The application of the cover 25 to the vessel III is effected by placing the cover upon the upper portion of the rim I8 as shown by dotted lines at 25 in Fig. 3, whereupon the cover is forced downwardly with the result that the upper beaded portion of the rim is expanded due to the fact that the beveled surface 25' is initially in position to coact with the upper inner portions of the teeth or bead I8 As the cover 25 is forced downwardly, the expansion of the beaded upper edge continues until the cover snaps downwardly into position on the upper edge surface III of the vessel, whereupon the upper edge of the rim contracts and the inwardly projecting portions I8 overlie the edge of the cover as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 so that the cover is held firmly in place. The compressed portion I8 of the rim extend downwardly below the beaded portion to give the rim a transversely corrugated effect in the upper part thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, and this corrugation renders the rim sufficiently expansible in the upper part thereof to permit the insertion of the cover in the manner just described. The cover is then held securely in place and will remain so under all of the usual shocks to which the loaded vessel may be subjected in transit without danger of becoming detached. When it is desired to remove the cover, in order to inspect the contents of the vessel or in order to remove said contents, a screw driver or othersuch implement 26 may be inserted in the notch 20 in the upper part 7 of engagement with the upper part of the rim.

After having been thus removed, the cover may be again restored to its initial position on the vessel H1 and it may be thus removed and restored any number of times without injuring the rim or the cover.

If the container is to be used as a pail, it may be provided with a handle 28 secured to the sides of the vessel by staples 29.

Although one form of the invention and one method of forming the same have been illustrated and described, by way of example, it will be understood that the invention may be constructed in various forms and practiced in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in a container, of a vessel, a complete annular metallic rim secured to the upper part of said vessel and having inwardly projecting resilient teeth spaced upwardly from the upper edge of said vessel, and a cover snapped into position upon the upper edge of said vessel and having its upper surface engaged by said inwardly projecting teeth.

2. The combination in a container, of a vessel, a complete annular metallic rim secured to the upper edge of said vessel and having an annular sectional bead projecting inwardly from the upper edge thereof above the upper edge of said Vessel and a cover having an annular downwardly and inwardly beveled surface adapted to coact with said sectional bead to permit said cover to be snapped downwardly into interlocking engagement with said rim.

3. The combination in a container, of a vessel, a complete annular metallic rim secured to the upper edge of said vessel and having an annular sectional bead forming teeth projecting inwardly from the upper edge thereof above the upper edge of said vessel and a cover having an annular downwardly beveled surface adapted to coact with said sectional bead to permit said cover to be snapped downwardly into interlocking engagement with said rim, said rim having a notch therein to permit the insertion of a tool for prying said cover out of engagement with said rim.

4. The combination in a container, of a vessel, a metallic rim secured to the upper edge of said vessel and projecting above said edge, said rim being provided around its upper edge with an annular bead which is transversely corrugated, and a cover having an outer annular beveled surface adapted to coact with said head to permit said cover to be snapped downwardly into interlocking engagement with said rim.

5. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a metal strip with a bead along one edge, compressing said bead at intervals to form projecting teeth, uniting the ends of said strip to form an annular rim having said teeth projecting inwardly, securing said rim around the upper edge of a vessel, and pressing a cover downwardly within the upper part of said rim until it is held in place on said vessel by said teeth.

6. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a metal strip with a bead along one edge thereof, compressing said bead and said strip at intervals to form transverse corrugations, uniting the ends of said strip to form an annular rim having parts of said bead extending inwardly, securing said rim around the upper edge of a vessel, and pressing a cover downwardly within said rim until it is held in place on said vessel by the projecting parts of said bead.

7. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a metal strip with a bead along one edge thereof, compressing said bead and said strip at intervals to form transverse corrugations, uniting the ends of said strip to form an annular rim having parts of said bead extending inwardly, securing said rim around the upper edge of a vessel, forming a cover having an annular downwardly and inwardly beveled edge, and then forcing said cover downwardly within the upper part of said rim until it is held in place on said vessel by the inwardly projecting parts of said bead. v

8. The combination in a container, of a wooden vessel, a metallic rim secured to the upper edge of said vessel and projecting above said edge, said rim being provided around its upper edge with an annular inwardly extending head, said bead being compressed at intervals to form spaced inwardly projecting teeth, and a non-metallic cover adapted to be snapped downwardly within said rim to be held in place on the upper edge of said vessel by interlocking engagement with said teeth.

CHESTER M. MACCHESNEY. 

